A Honeymoon in Paris
by WTF123
Summary: A special gift for my friend Autobot00001 where Derek and Odette decide to travel to Paris for their honeymoon. Things go well enough at first, but soon, they discover that they arrived just in time for something called the Festival of Fools. Little do they know that this will mark the beginning of a journey where the lives of Quasimodo and hundreds of innocent gypsies from Frollo.


**This is a very special collaboration project between Autobot00001 and I. I thank him for the idea for this story, and I consider this to be a gift to him for all that he's done for me and all of the ideas we've shared for things. This story will be my thanks to him, and also my first attempt at writing anything for either The Swan Princess or The Hunchback of Notre Dame.**

**I own neither of those films, and this was written strictly for fun. The Hunchback of Notre Dame belongs to Walt Disney Studios/Victor Hugo, and The Swan Princess belongs to Nest Family Entertainment.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

><p>Paris.<p>

The capitol city of France was so much more than either of them could had ever hoped for, even as they first stepped into it. Prince Derek and Princess Odette, both coming from Chamburg, had arrived in Paris for their honeymoon on this day, for their lovehad been proclaimed for the entire world to hear, and now they were finally united in marriage. The newlyweds had decided to spend their first day as man and wife within the city of Paris, France, having heard all about how it was perhaps the most romantic city in all the world.

And as soon as they first walked in through the cobblestone streets beneath the bright, clear skies of morning, they could immediately see why. Derek and Odette looked in awe upon the many people walking amongst the streets, seeing horses pulling carts, carpenters carrying wood and stone materials to their destinations, and many chefs and cooks preparing their finest dishes in the windows of their wood and stone restaurants. The air was thick with the smell of the most lavish and prestigious dishes than anyone in Europe could've asked for. The streets were bustling with life as people went in and out of all the fancy homes, shops and early factories that made up the city. It was truly a site to behold for Derek and Odette.

As the newlyweds walked forth, Odette was the first one to take her eyes off of the sights around her. "Wow..." She started in awe. "It's even better than I hoped."

Derek looked over to her. "I have to admit, even I didn't expect these streets to be so…filled with life."

"It was a good thing Uberta suggested this place when she did." Odette continued. "I'll bet we probably would've just gone over to Swan Lake again if it weren't for her."

Derek nodded. "We ought to thank her when we get back."

The new couple walked on past the many vendors, fishermen and bakers making their daily rounds like they always did, Derek and Odette began to hear something off in the distance. It sounded like a man speaking to a small audience of some sort, with Odette and Derek being able to hear him through the rest of the crowd's noise.

"Listen. They're beautiful, no?" He said enthusiastically, "So many colors of sound, so many changing moods! Because you know, they don't ring all by themselves."

Whoever he was, the man seemed to be referring the chimes and clatter of the ringing morning bells they had both been hearing for some time now. Derek turned to Odette when he heard the voice.

"Who do you suppose that is?" He asked her. Odette shrugged.

"I guess we could go see for ourselves."

With that, they both walked forth in the direction of the voice. And as soon as they did, they listened in on what sounded like a one-man show of some sort.

"They don't?" A high-pitched impression sounded out, most likely from the same man.

"No, you silly boy!" Said the other. "Up there, high in the dark bell tower lives the mysterious bell ringer. Who is this creature?"

"Who?"

"What is he?"

"What?"

"How did he come to be there?"

"How?"

"Hush!"

"Awwww!"

"And Clopin will tell you!"

Odette grinned as she listened to the back-and forth from what sounded like a street performer, followed by the laughter of several children. "Hm, sounds like that must be an interesting show." She remarked.

Eventually, Derek and Odette came across a small wooden stand surrounded by children, just as they heard. A man wearing a light purple mask and dressed like some kind of king's fool was performing a puppet show with a sock over his hand. To the newlyweds, it looked like he was putting on an entertaining show.

"It is a tale... A tale of a man... And a monster!" He went on, trying to sound dramatic to the children. It was here that the couple stopped and stood close by, listening in now just to see where this show could go. Derek folded his arms and casually leaned against a building behind him.

"Looks like they've certainly got a passion for this in Paris, huh, Odette?"

Odette nodded. They listened in as this man now began to sing.

"Dark was the night, when our tale was begun, on the docks, near Notre Dame! Four frightened gypsies slid silently under the docks, near Notre Dame!"

"Do you know what a gypsy is, Odette?" Derek asked his wife. Odette nodded. "I'm pretty sure they're people who travel and sell things across Europe. At least, that's what I got from Jean-Bob before."

"Ah."

The man sung on, "But a TRAP! Had been laid for the gypsies, and they gazed up in fear and alarm! And a figure who's clutches as iron as much as, the bells! The bells of Notre Dame!"

He paused for a moment before his voice lowered. "Judge Claude Frollo longer to purge the world of vice, and sin. And he saw corruption everywhere, except... Within!"

"Hey, I think I might have heard that name before, actually..." Derek said thoughtfully, stroking his chin with his hand. His golden-haired wife looked over to him. "Who, Derek?"

"Claude Frollo, honey. I heard he's a priest and a judge around these parts. But I remember I was told something else about him... I can't put my finger on what it was, though."

"Was it bad, Derek?"

"I'm not sure..."

Soon, Odette cleared her throat. "Well, maybe it'll come to you later. I'm not sure about you, but I think it's time we sit down and eat first. What do you say?"

Derek perked up and looked around him when she said this. "Hm… it is pretty late in the morning after all… I don't see why not."

He stood up straight again and uncrossed his arms, looking around him for a moment. "We'll hear the rest of this later." He remarked, watching as the man in the light purple mask performed further with his puppets. He heard something about the Notre Dame cathedral, which was nearby, but he didn't consider it to be of any importance at the time.

"There." He said, pointing to a lone street vendor who appeared to be hard at work cooking fresh croissants for the peasants he seemed to be serving. Odette smiled when she too caught sight of this.

"Well they smell nice." She remarked. "Let's go get some breakfast while we still can.

And with that, Odette and Derek went side-by-side as they started towards the cook who was preparing the fine-smelling croissants. But once they did, Odette took a glance behind her to catch one last look at the man's strange puppet display. She could tell that he was attempting to be as dramatic as possible for the children who were watching, but something about what he was doing felt odd to her; As though it meant something, but she couldn't quite understand what it was.

Suddenly, Odette's thoughts were interrupted when she felt herself accidentally knock into someone in front of her, catching her quite off guard to say the least. She heard someone react to it, and the next thing she knew, she tripped onto the cobblestoneground and landed on her side. She struck it quite hard, but it wasn't terribly painful like she expected it to be.

"Odette!" She heard Derek cry as he kneeled down to help her up. He grabbed his wife's hand and aided her back to her feet. As he did, Odette turned and saw that she had accidentally knocked into a man, as he too was getting up from the street. Odette said to him, "Oh my gosh, I'm sorry. I-I didn't see you!

When the man stood up, she and Derek got a good look at him. He was wearing a black church outfit, wearing a red and purple gown, and was sporting a white, silk gown collar around his neck and a strange black and purple triangle-shaped hat. They also saw that he was quite old with grey hair and wrinkly eyes. They watched as he stood up before them. "I'm really sor-"

The man interrupted Odette while she tried to apologize again. "No matter, my dear. Just be sure to watch where you're stepping from here on out."

Derek studied the look of him quite intently, for he knew somewhere inside of him that he had heard about this person before. Putting his hand on his chin again, Derek asked, "Say… You wouldn't happen to be someone named Claude Frollo, would you?"

He looked at Derek suddenly. "Why… yes, I am Claude Frollo. How do you know of me?"

Derek went on, "Someone once told me about you where my wife and I live. They said you were a priest and a judge of some sort?"

Frollo nodded. "Yes, I'm one of the leaders of the old Notre Dame Cathedral not far from here and the leader of the Palace of Justice."

Then Frollo took a good look at the couple in front of them, observing their appearances intently. "You don't seem to be from around here, are you?"

Odette answered, "Oh, no of course not. We're from Chamburg, visiting here on our honeymoon."

"Really now?" Frollo said, the name of Chamburg seeming to be ringing a bell to him. "What are your names, if you don't mind me asking?"

Then, the two of them introduced themselves. "Oh, my name is Odette, Princess Odette." She said pleasantly. "And this is my husband, Prince Derek."

As soon as Odette had told the priest their names, Frollo's eyes twitched, and he took a step back, catching the couple off-guard.

"What?" Frollo questioned. "You couldn't possibly mean the same Odette and Derek who… who went through that ordeal with Rothbart and the Great Animal, could you?"

Derek and Odette exchanged glances, with Derek seeming rather unnerved by Frollo's sharp tone. "We… we weren't aware that anyone outside of Chamburg knew about that yet."

Frollo scoffed. "Oh, the news has been spreading like wildfire!" He exclaimed. "It's the only subject I've been hearing discussed on the streets these days."

"Really?" Odette questioned. Frollo gave her an odd look. "Oh yes, it's terrible!"

Derek raised an eyebrow. "Terrible?"

"All this talk of witchcraft and black magic." The old priest remarked. "Witchcraft is one of the devil's many tools in luring innocent souls into damnation, it always has been. And now the people of Paris are being lured to the devil's ways thanks to yoursuccess."

"You can't be serious!" Odette said worriedly.

Suddenly, Derek stepped forth and formed an increasingly angry look on him. "Now wait just a minute, Frollo!" He said loudly. "I'll have you know that we saved our entire kingdom from damnation with what we did! Rothbart was trying to kill me and take Odette for himself!"

"Well then perhaps you should have let it happen." Frollo replied, crossing his arms. Derek growled. "And what's that supposed to mean?"

Frollo said, "She deserves much better than you, that much I can see."

And then, Derek watched as Frollo intensified his gaze on Odette, making him hold back the urge to strike him there in the middle of the street with his fist. Never before had anyone, let alone a priest, made him feel so insulted in his life for what he had nearly sacrificed his life for. He could've dwelled on his thoughts for a bit longer, but then he noticed something. He caught sight of Frollo's gaze, and noticed that he was giving Odette an incredibly unsettling look. Odette herself noticed it, and shetook a step back.

"Uhh… Frollo?" She started. Frollo smiled devilishly, taking a step forth to her. "Why, you truly do deserve someone better than Derek, my dear. Someone…. more religious, perhaps?"

Immediately realizing what Frollo was getting at, Derek's eyes widened, and he went over to Odette, grabbing her hand and glaring at Frollo menacingly.

"Uhh… If you don't mind, Minister Frollo, Odette and I have somewhere we need to be."

"Like where?" He asked, still giving Odette a devilish, almost seductive, look. Derek's glare intensified. "We were just going to get some breakfast. We haven't eaten all day."

This time, neither one of them waited for Frollo to respond. Derek pulled Odette away from the spot where she was standing, and they started to walk away. As they did, Derek looked behind him, and he said to the old priest, "If I were you, I would hope that we don't meet again."

And with that, the newlyweds went away from him as fast as they could, moving past the crowds of people treading the streets and keeping their distance away from the various horse-drawn carts filled with French goods. Derek sighed heavily.

"How could he say those things, Odette?" He said to his wife. "I can't believe he thinks we're trying to lure people to the devil! How absurd can you be?"

Odette nodded. "And did you see that look he was giving me?"

Derek closed his eyes. "He'd better not look at you ever again, honey. If he does, I'll take care of him for sure!"

They took a moment to recover before Odette took a long, deep breath. "Well, that was certainly one way to start our visit here, I guess."

Derek's expression lightened. "Don't worry, Odette. Let's just move on from him, there's a lot more to do around here." He said softly to her. "Come on. We might as well catch some breakfast while we still can."

Odette thought for a moment before she said, "Well… All right, Derek. If you say so. I… I just hope we don't see that Frollo again."

Derek held onto Odette's hand tightly. "I promise that if we do, he won't hurt you. Not as long as I'm around."

She smiled at him. "Thanks, Derek."

"As long as I live."

And soon, Derek and Odette did manage to have some fresh breakfast at one of the many food vendors scattered across the streets and in the open window servers in the buildings. The newlyweds were seated in an ornate table, and were soon served red wine and warm croissants, which they shared together. And as they ate, Odette still looked unnerved. Derek said concernedly, "Odette? Are you all right?"

She looked up to him suddenly, as though she had snapped out of her thoughts. "I'm fine, Derek."

"Are the croissants any good to you?" He asked earnestly. Odette nodded. "Yes, they're fine. It's just that…"

She paused.

"Is it still Frollo?" Derek asked concernedly. Odette shook her head. "No, it isn't that. It's just… There's something bugging me about what we saw earlier."

Derek raised an eyebrow and set his croissant back down on its plate. "What? You mean with that puppet show we watched earlier?"

"Yes." She answered back, finally facing her husband in the eye now. "That man said something about a mysterious bell ringer in Notre Dame. I've been thinking… Do you think whatever he said is true?"

Derek shook his head. "I wouldn't know. We didn't watch the whole thing, remember?"

"I know." She said back. "But he also said Frollo went after some gypsies if I remember correctly. I've been thinking- How did that story end? What did Frollo do, and what does he have to do with the bell ringer of Notre Dame?"

Derek leaned into her slightly, his face growing concerned. "What's making you think about that, Odette?"

She shook her head. "I'm not sure. But think about this: You said someone once told you something bad about Frollo. Do you think that story could've told what exactly that was? Maybe something about him and that bell ringer?"

Derek put his hand up to his chin. "I'm not sure, Odette. To be honest… I've been wondering if that story had anything to do with it too. But… I-it doesn't matter now."

He paused for a moment. "Let's just both leave the issue alone. And just try to enjoy our honeymoon. All right, honey?"

Odette thought for another moment before she slowly nodded. "Okay, Derek."

And with that, the two of them continued to feast upon their croissants and drink their red, French wine. But as they did, Odette turned her gaze past Derek, and looked up to the two, ornate and elegant bell towers atop the Notre Dame Cathedral, which she could just barely see beyond the wooden homes and shops in front of it. She listened to the bells ring, many of them sounding deep and echoey. And as the princess thought more and more about the story and how significant Notre Dame was to it, she had at last wondered:

What was the story behind the man and the monster of the cathedral?


End file.
